The public is now allowed to carry-concealed weapons in Alamance County buildings after the Alamance County Board of Commissioners on Monday repealed an ordinance approved in 1995 that had banned carrying concealed weapons in county buildings.

Commissioner Tim Sutton said he wanted the ban lifted in light of recent discussions on whether open-carry firearms should be allowed in county buildings.

The ordinance, adopted by the board Oct. 2, 1995, stated “the Board of Commissioners has found it to be expedient and in the interest of public safety to adopt an ordinance ordering the posting of signs to prohibit the carrying of concealed handguns on County property.”

“The County Manager is hereby ordered to post signs on all buildings owned or controlled by the County of Alamance prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns in said buildings,” the ordinance stated.

Sutton said he had voted in favor of the ordinance in 1995 but believed now it was time to repeal it. Sutton said if the county allows the public to carry firearms openly in county buildings, then it shouldn’t ban concealed weapons from being carried into county buildings.

“I’m just frustrated with the whole situation,” Sutton said.

Sutton said he believed that “there’s a paranoia about guns in America with people who don’t like them.”

Sutton also said those who carry concealed weapons are trained in a classroom, and he felt more comfortable with people carrying concealed weapons and that citizens should be allowed to carry them in county buildings.

Sutton said he wanted the county to be consistent on its firearms policy and that it didn’t make sense to ban concealed firearms while allowing open-carry firearms in county buildings.

“The concealed-carry law we have, I want to make a motion we do away with that,” Sutton said.

Commissioner Bill Lashley said concealed firearms should be allowed in county buildings and that the ban should be lifted. Lashley said he believed the community is safest when the public doesn’t know who has a gun.

“I think people who have concealed-carry are the safest people there are to have in your presence,” Lashley said.

The board unanimously approved a motion to repeal the 1995 ordinance that had banned concealed weapons in county buildings.

COUNTY MANAGER CRAIG Honeycutt said after the board meeting that all firearms are now allowed in county buildings, including during commissioners meetings. Honeycutt said the county also will no longer use metal detectors to scan those entering board meetings. This policy was introduced in October after perceived online threats were made against the commissioners.

The concealed weapons ordinance repeal wasn’t the only matter concerning firearms addressed at the meeting.

The commissioners were presented with a proposed ordinance drafted by County Attorney Clyde Albright prohibiting the carrying of firearms openly in Alamance County buildings. The proposed ordinance failed to get a motion for consideration by the commissioners. It was not introduced, and the board took no formal vote.

Page 2 of 3 - The proposed ordinance stated, “Concealed or Open Carrying of deadly weapons, as they are defined in NCGS 14-269, in or on Alamance County buildings now or hereafter owned, leased, as lessee, operated, occupied, managed, or controlled by Alamance County is prohibited.”

On Nov. 18, Sheriff Terry Johnson advised the commissioners regarding recent incidents in which customers paying their taxes carried handguns strapped on their sides into the tax office.

Johnson said the incidents scared the county employees working in the tax office, and he sought direction from the commissioners on how to proceed on increasing security.

The proposed ordinance included a provision that would have allowed Johnson to provide written authorization for persons he approved to “possess deadly weapons on county property.”

“Such authorization shall be in writing signed by the Alamance County Sheriff, a copy of such authorization shall be carried by such authorized person at all times while on Alamance County property, and such authorization shall be presented for inspection, if requested, to any person that so requests,” the proposed ordinance stated.

Albright said this language was included in the proposed ordinance because Johnson is able to do background checks and would know the backgrounds of those wanting to carry firearms in county buildings.

“It seems to me that the sheriff is the gatekeeper for public safety. He should be the one that makes that decision, so that’s why I put that exemption in there,” Albright said.

COUNTY TAX ADMINISTRATORJeremy Akins sent an email Oct. 22 to Albright, Johnson and Honeycutt regarding an incident in which a person he identified as Luther Allen of Burlington carried a firearm openly into the tax office.

“Apparently, this isn’t his first armed visit to collections,” Akins’ email stated. “Although Mr. Allen was in no way aggressive or threatening, my staff expressed fear at being approached by an armed man. I don’t want to overreact, but I don’t believe that our citizens should be coming into our collections area armed.”

Akins said on Monday that when he sent the email on Oct. 22 to county officials he didn’t know what the county’s policy was on carrying firearms in county buildings and that he sent the email as a precautionary measure. Since then, Akins said he has conducted research and now realizes that it is legal for the public to openly carry firearms in the tax office and other county buildings.

Several people at the board meeting spoke during the public comment period against the proposed ban on carrying firearms openly in county buildings.

Luke Allen of Burlington said he believed placing signs at county buildings banning all firearms would not make the county safer. He also said it would be a mistake to approve the proposed ordinance allowing Johnson to select only those he deemed fit to carry firearms openly in county buildings.

Page 3 of 3 - Joe Allen of Alamance County said he was one of the two incidents reported by the tax office regarding those who had brought a firearm recently strapped to his side into the tax office. Joe Allen left his firearm in his vehicle before entering the board meeting Monday but still wore his side holster, showing the empty holster to the commissioners as he spoke.

“The law-abiding citizen should be allowed to carry their firearms,” he said. “I go everywhere else in Alamance County with my gun on my hip.”

Joe Allen said when he carries his firearm strapped on his side while shopping or going to the bank, he doesn’t get any extreme reactions from the people he encounters at those businesses and that he believed that it was his constitutional right to carry a firearm.

“Why take away my right?” Allen said.

After the board meeting, Johnson said, he stood by the commissioners’ decision to lift the ban on concealed weapons in county buildings. Johnson also said he supported the commissioners’ decision not to move forward with approving the ban on open-carry firearms in county buildings.

“What they say goes,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he understood arguments on both sides of the gun issue and that his office would continue to work to assure all county buildings remain safe.